An American Airlines traveler took flak for refusing to swap his paid window seat for an aisle seat with a family that insisted they needed it “for the baby.” Sorry, but as Family Guy reminds us, a lack of proper planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part…

When You Paid For Your Seat, A Family Shouldn’t Ask You To Give It Up

The business traveler had paid $125 to select a window seat on his international flight because he knew he’d be exhausted and the window provides some support when trying to sleep. Sleep was his only goal on the longhaul flight.

“I paid $125ish for a window seat on a 14-hour international flight. I knew I’d be coming into this leg sleep deprived … I got to my seat, mom and about 1 year-old infant sitting in the middle seat, aisle seat is open. Dad stands up … asks me to switch … I told him I paid for a window seat and he aggressively said ‘it’s basically the same thing’ … they kept repeating ‘well you’re going to have to sit by a baby then.’”

The traveler continued: “It’s so unfair that airline procedures lead to paying customers being asked to give up their paid-for accommodations or face shame and (admittedly minor) conflict.”

Why The Family’s Request Was Unreasonable

I’ve said this before, but since this appears to be such a common practice, it bears repeating: you are under no obligation to switch seats, unless directed by a flight attendant. Here’s why:

• He paid specifically for a window seat to ensure rest and was offered an inferior seat in trade, a cardinal sin when it comes to seat swapping (some may prefer an aisle seat, but he did not…)
• The asking family was seated in the same row and simply wanted the window seat for convenience, not necessity
• If they wanted to sit together, they should have paid for their seats too and if there were not seats together, they could have booked another flight

Airline policies typically state they will attempt to honor seat selections but do not guarantee them. That said, once a passenger has paid and is seated, it is fundamentally inappropriate to extract seat swaps through guilt, pressure, or implied entitlement.

As for the family, two aisle seats adjacent to one another are arguably ideal for caring for the baby.

Give Courtesy, Not Obligation

There’s a difference between polite requests and aggressive demands. The father’s question was reasonable enough, if only asked once and asked politely. But the fact that the mom suggested, “Well you’re going to have to sit by a baby then,” shifted the dynamic into entitlement rather than courtesy.

As a father of two who frequently traveled with my children when were babies, this isn’t about being anti-baby or unsympathetic, it’s about fairness. It’s not a burden for someone else to accommodate your last-minute convenience. If seating is important to you, you should not leave it to chance! Book a flight that allows you to pre-reserve the seats you want.

CONCLUSION + A Lesson From Family Guy

When you purchase a specific seat, you should not feel pressure to relinquish it because someone else claims they need it more. The traveler’s frustration was valid. Asking is one thing. Demanding is another, especially when the request is backed by guilt and threats.

I write these story from time to time becuase I think far too many people are still too accommodating. Just say no…here’s a great script from the Family Guy: